title: Role of the amplitude of the gonadotropin surge in the rat.
abstract: Ovaries that contained pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin-induced preovulatory follicles were perifused for 21 hours with (1) control media, (2) 5%, (3) 30%, or (4) 85% of the gonadotropin surge. All of the gonadotropin surges induced oocyte maturation and enhanced progesterone (P) secretion. Ovulated oocytes were observed in one of four ovaries in the 85% surge group. These data demonstrate that only a small percentage of the gonadotropin surge is required to induce a maximal P secretion and oocyte maturation. Because neither P secretion nor oocyte maturation is enhanced with increasing gonadotropin levels, these two follicular responses must be mediated through a threshold-dependent mechanism such that once the threshold level is obtained, a maximum response is induced. Greater than 85% of the surge appears to be required to induce follicular rupture, suggesting that the threshold for the follicular rupture is greater than that for either P secretion or oocyte maturation.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut Health Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Farmington 06032.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Peluso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D006064:Gonadotropins, Equine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010060:Ovulation / Q000187:drug effects; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D006062:Gonadotropins; D006064:Gonadotropins, Equine; D011374:Progesterone